A Thief and his Princess (a Swanfire story) (Discontinued, I'm sorry)
by GoldenInfinityLuv
Summary: Emma Swan and Neal Cassidy were never rich, but they had each other, and that's what mattered to them. When Emma gets caught however and placed into a foster home, how will Neal react? And what will happen when a rich, handsome playboy wants Emma to fall in love with him?
1. Chapter 1

"Robbery! Someone go after them!"

The police tried, but couldn't catch the two teenagers as they raced out of the store.

"You know, someday we're gonna have to catch those brats; they've stolen over $500 dollars' worth of stuff already!"

The manager sighed and shook his head.

"Ha! This is what, the thirteenth time we've done this?" the boy exclaimed, slowing to a stop and panting from running so long. "You'd think they'd be a bit warier by now!"

The girl laughed and took off her hood, revealing a messy head of blonde hair. The boy smirked, leaving the girl confused.

"What, Neal?"

Neal just shook his head, his gaze never leaving the blonde's face. "Oh, nothing Emma, just admiring how pretty you are."

Emma blushed and smiled, hiding her face behind her hair. "You're making me blush!"

A cold wind blew under the bridge the teens lived under, and Emma shivered. Neal opened up his coat so she could snuggle into it, and she did, sighing contentedly at the warmth.

"Someday, darling, we'll be able to get out of New York. We'll find a place where we can be warm and fed all the time. I promise."

Emma hummed a bit, nuzzling her face into Neal's chest. "Even if we don't though, I'll always be happy as long as I have you."


	2. Chapter 2

Neal opened his eyes, yawning quietly. He looked down at the sleeping blonde in his arms and smiled, playing with her hair.

"Neal?" Emma mumbled, waking up and looking at her boyfriend. "Let's just stay home today. I'm tired."

Neal chuckled and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead. "You'll wake up soon, dear. We need to eat, remember?"

Emma sleepily grabbed a bag of Doritos and held it up. "Here. Breakfast is served."

Neal chuckled and pulled the blonde up, getting grumbles and complaints in return. "You can eat the chips if you want, but I'm craving cinnamon buns."

Emma rolled her eyes and pulled her hair back, making a messy ponytail with her well-worn hair elastic. "Alright. I'm up. Let's go."

The two snuck over to the bakery nearby and grabbed an entire tray of cinnamon buns, breaking into a sprint as the employees yelled out in surprise.

"Mm, these are good–ow! Hot! Hot!"

"Well of course they're hot, doofus," Emma teased. "They just came out of the oven!"

The thieves were almost home clear, when suddenly a bystander lunged forward and grabbed Emma. Neal screamed her name as the person delivered her to the manager, who was panting and out of breath from the chase.

"Neal run!" Emma exclaimed as the manager pulled her to the police station.

"No! Emma!" Neal tried to go after her, but eventually lost them.

"You were right babe…" Neal mumbled, tears pricking his eyes. "We should've stayed at home…"


	3. Chapter 3

"It's your lucky day Emma! This will be your new home until we find you a permanent family to stay with!"

Emma lazily lolled her head back to stare at the ceiling before looking down towards the floor. It wasn't that bad of a house, but it wasn't home. Home was with Neal. No matter how many times she tried to tell people that though, they always laughed it off. Some of them even treated her as delusional and refused to believe he existed.

Mary Margret sighed at the blonde's hesitation and gently flicked her on the head, trying to lighten the mood up a bit. "So, wanna meet your new friends?"

Emma shrugged, still not saying anything. A group of kids and teens assembled in the room when they were called, ready to introduce themselves to the new resident. Most of them seemed easy enough to forget, but a few caught Emma's attention.

Belle. A friendly looking girl who was wearing way too much glitter on her clothes for Emma's taste.

August. A shy kid who barely looked up at the mention of his name. He was holding a notebook and pen protectively in his arms.

Henry. A little four-year-old boy who seemed like he was new as well.

Killian. A leather jacket wearing, smug looking kid who gave off the aura of being a playboy.

"Well Emma, would you like me to show you to your room?" Mary Margret asked.

Emma was about to nod when Belle piped up. "I will mam!"

"Me too," August added, smiling timidly.

"Very well then. Thank you, kids." With one last smile, Mary Margret left, and Belle and August led Emma up a spiral staircase.

"It may be overwhelming here at first, but you'll get used to it. Trust me," Belle encouraged, giving a sympathetic smile. "And hey, if you ever get bored, I have a _ton _of books you can borrow. Some of them August even wrote himself."

August blushed from the attention and looked down. "I'm not _that_ good."

"We'll let Emma be the judge."

Before the three could get into Emma's room however, Killian stopped them by the door.

"Why hello there," he purred, leaning on the doorframe in front of Emma. "Emma, was it?"

Emma refused to say a word, and Belle glared. "Knock it off Killian! It's her first day; she's probably tired!"

Killian gave a nonchalant shrug and pushed himself off the wall. "Well, if you ever want to talk, love, my room is across the hall, second door to the right. Late."

Belle huffed and opened Emma's door as Killian left. "Man, he makes me mad! Don't worry about him Em, can I call you Em? He's just your classic player; he'll probably move on in a week or so if you ignore him.

Belle and August helped Emma settle in before leaving her to get some rest. A tear escaped her eye and fell down her cheek as she thought about Neal. She wondered if he was doing alright.

Just then, she heard a soft knock and wiped her eyes. "Yes?"

The little boy from earlier, Henry, toddled into her room and climbed up on her bed. "Can I sleep here? I had a nightmare and Mary Margret can't hear me knocking."

Emma smiled a bit and nodded. Henry cuddled into her arms and closed his eyes, promptly falling asleep again. Emma smiled a bit wider and did the same.


	4. Chapter 4

Neal sat under the bridge, the beef jerky he had stolen limp and forgotten in his hand. To say he was worried about Emma was an understatement; he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he needed to see her again. Not knowing where she was though was going to be a major problem. Neal was determined though. He loved Emma more than he loved himself, and he was going to find her and bring her home.

Forcing himself to finish the jerky, he pushed himself up and pulled his hoodie tighter around his body so he wouldn't be recognized. First stop, the police station.

Emma woke up to Henry shaking her. She rubbed the remaining sleep out of her eyes and groaned.

"Emmy! Wake up! It's breakfast time, Emmy!"

Emma shooed Henry away and rummaged through her desk for the brush that Belle had lent her. She huffed in frustration when she couldn't find it and just used her hands.

"Emma! You coming?"

Emma sighed and left her room, hesitantly joining the rest at the table.

Neal trudged up to the foster home, breathless due to the fact that it was on top of a large hill. He stalked up to the window and peeked inside. To his relief and joy, he spotted Emma at the dinner table. His smile fell however when he saw how despondent she looked as she picked at her food listlessly.

Someone said something to her and she nodded, leaving the table and trudging up the stairs. Seeing his chance, Neal sprinted over to the other side of the house and climbed up to a balcony on the second floor. He rubbed his shoes on the carpet so he wouldn't leave dirt stains before quietly opening the glass door and sneaking inside. He listened closely at every door, hoping that he would hear Emma's voice, but instead heard nothing behind each one. He decided to take a chance and knock on a few, hoping that he didn't get spotted.

After the second time of no one answering, Neal tried one more door. This time, he got a whimper followed by a soft "what?"

That was Emma's voice. He knew it. He eagerly turned the handle and stepped inside. "Hey Emma."

Emma's jaw dropped and Neal chuckled, closing the door. "Neal?"

Neal held his arms open wide and she ran into them, hugging him tightly with relief. "You're here! I can't believe it! You're actually here!"

The two sat down on the edge of Emma's bed and just talked, loving every minute of being together again. However, they quickly forgot that they weren't the only people on earth, and soon Mary Margaret knocked on the door.

"Emma? Who are you talking to?"

The couple froze and Emma pushed Neal towards the window. "You need to get out of here," she whispered. "Hurry!" Giving him a rope, she helped him climb out of her room.

"I love you Em!" Neal called from the ground outside. "And I'll be back for you! I promise!"

Emma blew him a kiss and closed the window, her smile falling as she went to answer Mary Margaret.


	5. Chapter 5

"_Who's there?"_

_The little eight-year-old blonde girl snapped her head up, staring fearfully at the brunette who had caught her stealing his food. _

"_I-I'm so sorry…" the girl fairly slurred from the cold and her hunger. "I was just so hungry–"_

_The boy knelt down and pulled an apple from his coat pocket, smiling sweetly. "Here, you need it more than me."_

_The blonde girl apprehensively reached out her hand before snatching the fruit and scarfing it down. The boy chuckled and took out an apple of his own._

"_I'm Neal. What's your name?"_

"_Emma…" she replied between bites. "My name is Emma."_

Neal smiled as he let the flashback play though his mind, his eyes closed in bliss. Even though she was covered in dirt and dried up mud at the time, Emma Swan had by far been the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He missed her with all his heart.

"_Neal? Where are we going?" Emma asked, not letting go of her friend's hand. The, now fourteen-year-old, brunette smirked and put his spare hand up to his lips in a ssh gesture. _

"_I'll tell you when we get there."_

_Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes. "_If_ we get there. When are you going to admit that you don't know where you're going?"_

_Neal's running slowed to a stop, and Emma was actually a tad scared that she had hurt his feelings._

"_Never. Because we're here!"_

_The slight anxiety died in her throat as Emma awed at the sight before her. They were under an old highway bridge; Neal had set it up with blankets and baskets of food, along with a little lantern for a light. _

"_Welcome home, Em," he whispered in her ear, hugging her close._

_That was the first time Emma kissed him, and Neal treasured the memory._

"It's not the same without you, Emma," Neal mumbled into the wind. "It'll never be the same until you're back with me."


	6. Chapter 6

Emma sat up against her bedframe, little Henry cuddled up in her lap. A kids' cartoon played softly on the television as the four-year-old napped peacefully, warm and safe with the new girl.

Just as Emma was about to change the channel, she got a knock on her door. Figuring it was Mary Margaret coming to take Henry to his room, she got up carefully and opened the door. To her surprise and displeasure, she found Killian instead.

"Don't close the door on me, Swan," he said quickly and she tried to do just that. "I've got something to ask of you."

Emma gave a deadpanned expression, allowing him to go on. Killian reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet, holding it out to her.

"Emma, will you do me the honor of being my lady love?"

Emma raised an eyebrow, and Killian huffed.

"My girlfriend."

Emma's breath hitched and her blood pressure rose. She didn't want to say yes, but she felt backed into a corner, like there would be consequences if she said no.

"Emma? You in here?"

As if things couldn't get any worse, Emma had left her window unlocked, giving Neal the chance to climb in without knocking. Both of the boys' eyes went wide as they stared each other down. "Who's he?" came from both of them at the same time, and Emma could not be more overwhelmed.

"K-Killian, please don't tell Mary Margaret that I let my boyfriend in every day! Please? For me?"

"Emma, who _is_ this person?" Neal demanded, his tone not quite angry, but not quite gentle either.

Ignoring him, Emma turned to Killian, begging him to keep quiet with her eyes.

Killian's face was as unreadable as a blank slate. A simple "I'll think about it" was the blonde's only reply as he left the room. Before Neal could say anything about what had just happened, Emma burst into tears. He held her in his arms as she wept on his shirt.

"Please don't leave me. Not yet."

"Don't worry, love. I won't."


	7. Chapter 7

Emma spent every day for the rest of that week in fear that Killian would tell on her and Neal. She barely ate, and let Belle and August in even less than she already had. Mary Margaret tried to ask her about what was going on, but she refused to say anything.

Eventually, after a long, agonizing wait, Killian finally took Emma aside to discuss the situation.

"As you know, Swan, Mary Margaret would be pretty upset if she heard about this. Don't even get me started on her husband, David."

Emma quaked in apprehension, leaning against the wall.

"And I'd like to let you know that I'm not going to tell."

Emma's eyes widened and she stared up at Killian in awe.

"I love you Emma, that isn't going to change, but if you'd be happier with Neal, then I want you to be with Neal. Honest."

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she didn't care. Flinging forward, she hugged Killian, muttering thank-you's over and over. He sadly nodded and patted her head.

"You're an extraordinary girl, Emma. Any man would be lucky to have you."


	8. Chapter 8

Killian's sacrifice had given Neal and Emma the opportunity to be together; everything was going perfectly for the two.

Emma had occasionally been in and out of a few foster homes, but she always ended up coming back to Mary Margaret's. She had also let Belle and August into her life, and Henry looked up to her like an older sister.

However, there was no way it could stay perfect forever.

"I-I'm sorry Regina! I p-promise I'm trying—"

"I need the money by next week! Or your foster home will be bulldozed! Understand?"

"Y-yes Regina."

"That's Ms. Mills to you!"

"Yes Ms. Mills!"

Regina sauntered out of the room, ignoring the curious mop of blonde hair sticking out from the corner. Once the landlord was out of sight, Emma made her way to Mary Margaret's room.

"Oh, hello Emma. What can I do for you?"

"What was that about?" the blonde asked quietly.

Mary Margaret sighed and ran a hand through her pixie cut. "That was our landlord, Regina Mills. She owns this block of land, well, her ex-husband, Robin, did, but this land was given to her in their settlement. She can't kick us out if we pay her rent though, and It's been working just fine for three years, but now we're running out of money, and we'll have to leave if we miss the next payment."

Emma's breath hitched, and Mary Margaret gave a reluctant smile. "Go along now, it's ok."

Emma did as she was told, but an idea started forming in her mind.

Was there any way her friends and Neal could help?


End file.
